Indiana fell behind shortly and trailed by double figures for greater than 36 minutes in a 76-64 loss at Wisconsin Tuesday night time. The loss dropped the Hoosiers to 14-9 total and 5-7 in Huge Ten play.
Listed here are 5 takeaways from the loss to the Badgers:
Indiana was by no means within the recreation
In his postgame radio interview with Don Fischer, Mike Woodson stated he “thought Indiana got here out with good intentions.”
The fact is the Hoosiers weren’t ready to play, nor did they put up a struggle.
Wisconsin, identified for its elite 3-point capturing, shortly buried the Hoosiers from the perimeter. Many of the seems to be have been uncontested.
Lower than 4 and a half minutes into the sport, the Badgers led 19-2. Wisconsin shot 9-for-16 on 3s within the first half. After competing in hard-fought losses to Maryland and Purdue, the Hoosiers rolled over within the Kohl Heart.
Whereas the ultimate rating reads as a 12-point loss in a venue the place IU has not received since 1998, the Hoosiers have been by no means within the recreation. It was a non-competitive, uninspired effort and the most recent instance of Woodson’s “most gifted” IU roster failing to fulfill expectations.
Badgers maintain Oumar Ballo in test
Oumar Ballo, Indiana’s most constant participant all season, was held in test by Wisconsin Tuesday night time.
The Badgers emphasised preserving the ball out of Ballo’s fingers and in addition preserving him off the offensive glass.
The fifth-year senior took simply three photographs and scored 4 factors, his lowest output of the season. Coming into the sport, Ballo had scored in double figures in 9 straight video games.
He additionally performed solely 26 minutes, his lowest quantity for the reason that Chattanooga recreation on Dec. 21.
“That is the primary recreation this season since he’s been with us that he’s had a nasty recreation,” Woodson informed Fischer postgame. “Wasn’t nothing going proper for him and I assumed our transition protection coming again early, that’s what opened the gates for them just a little bit on the 3s that they did make as a result of we didn’t get again and get matched. And he had lots to do with that.”
Indiana is 1-6 in its final seven video games
The Hoosiers began Huge Ten play 4-1 and have been 13-3 total after a win towards USC on Jan. 8.
However because the competitors ramped up, Indiana has fallen aside. Tuesday’s loss was this system’s fourth straight and sixth in its final seven video games.
And the highway doesn’t get any simpler quickly. Indiana hosts Michigan on Saturday earlier than touring to Michigan State on Tuesday. After that, the Hoosiers host back-to-back video games towards UCLA and Purdue.
All 4 groups are within the prime 4 of the league standings.
“We are able to’t afford to lose any video games at house the remainder of the way in which,” Woodson informed Fischer. “We’ve received 5 left beginning with Michigan, we gotta win all 5 and work out these final three video games out on the the highway.”
IU’s Kohl Heart shedding streak reaches 21 video games
Tuesday was the most recent chapter in Indiana’s underwhelming historical past on the Kohl Heart.
After beating Wisconsin 69-59 on Jan. 25, 1998, the Hoosiers haven’t received a recreation since in Madison. Indiana has now dropped 21 straight video games to the Badgers on the Kohl Heart.
It takes a stage of toughness and togetherness to win in Madison, which this Indiana staff lacks. That was evident when the Hoosiers have been down by 20 factors lower than seven minutes into the sport.
Underwhelming begins have been a theme this season for the Hoosiers and Woodson, now in his fourth season in Bloomington, has been unable to treatment the problem.
Woodson couldn’t pinpoint a motive when requested about IU’s lack of vitality to start out Tuesday’s recreation.
“I don’t know. It’s exhausting for me to clarify it,” he stated. “However we’re operating out of video games and I’ve received to determine these subsequent eight video games out as a result of it’s going to be very pivotal for our basketball staff when it comes to making match play.”
One other poor defensive effort for one of many Huge Ten’s worst defenses
Indiana allowed 1.15 factors per possession in Tuesday’s loss, the bottom output it has surrendered in its final 4 video games.
Nevertheless, that’s nothing for the Hoosiers to have fun.
Huge Ten groups are capturing 35.5 % on 3s and 54.2 % on 2s towards Indiana. From a defensive perspective, the one factor the Hoosiers have carried out nicely in convention video games is hit the defensive glass.
Indiana’s protection has regressed every season in Huge Ten video games below Woodson. Convention opponents scored simply 1.008 factors per possession in his first season at Indiana. In 12 months two, that quantity jumped to 1.041 factors per possession. Final season, the Hoosiers gave up 1.079 factors per possession.
This season, the backslide has continued. By way of 12 Huge Ten video games, Indiana ranks 14th within the convention at 1.118 factors per possession allowed.
Filed to: Wisconsin Badgers
